Natalie Dean began riding lessons at the age of 11 and found her passion in the jumping ring. She competed in three FEI North American Youth Championships, winning team bronze in 2017, team silver in 2018, and team silver and individual bronze in 2019. Dean and Don's Diamant were members of the U.S. Young Rider Team that won gold in the 2019 FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final CSIOY in Opglabbeek, Belgium.

In 2021, Dean made her debut with the NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team at the Spruce Meadows BMO Nations Cup CSIO5*, riding Chance Ste Hermelle and helping the team to a second-place finish. 

The following year, Dean rode Chance Ste Hermelle in the $150,000 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4*, helping the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team to a third-place finish.

In 2023, Dean again competed on the NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team in the $150,000 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4*, helping the team to a fifth-place finish while riding Acota M. Dean competed in her first FEI World Cup™ Finals in Omaha, Neb., riding Acota M. With Nespresso van't Laekhof, Dean won a class at the San Miguel de Allende CSIO5* in Mexico.

As a junior rider, Spencer Smith competed at the FEI North American Youth Championships in 2012 and 2013 riding Skara Glen’s Voltan H and was the winner of the 2014 Pessoa/U.S. Hunter Seat Medal Finals. He competed as part of the winning U.S. Young Rider TeamNations Cup team riding IV Ever at WEF in 2015 where the pair also won the CSIOY Grand Prix.

Smith had a breakout year in 2018, representing the U.S. as part of a senior Nations Cup team for the first time in Rome. That same year he won his first Grand Prix at the CSI3* $132,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix during week 10 at the Winter Equestrian Festival aboard his Selle Français gelding, Theodore Manciais. The pair went on to win the 2018 $114,626 CSI4* Grand Prix in Valence (FRA) and the 2019 Massimo Dutti Trophy at the CSI5* at the Global Champions League in Madrid.

Smith’s parents own and operate Ashland Farms, a hunter, jumper, and equitation stable with locations in Lexington, Ky., and Wellington, Fla.

Lillie Keenan has represented the U.S. in international competitions including as part of Nations Cup teams at Bratislava (SLV) in 2014; Hickstead (GBR), Spruce Meadows (CAN), and the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona in 2016; Ocala, Dublin (IRE), and Spruce Meadows in 2017; Wellington and Sopot (POL) in 2018; the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona in 2021; and Rome (ITA), Wellington, Aachen (GER), and the ECCO FEI World Championships (DEN) in 2022. 

Keenan was a standout rider from the start, making headlines for sweeping all three divisions in the 2007 USEF Hunter Pony National Championship at age 10, and then repeated the feat the following year. In 2011, at age 14, she competed against professional athletes and bested the class to take the win in the $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. 

As an equitation rider, Keenan collected many of the sport’s top honors, including the inaugural Equitation Challenge at Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show and the North American Junior Equitation Championship in 2012, The Excellence in Equitation Championship, the Equitation Classic, the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals, and the ASPCA Maclay Finals in 2013. 

Keenan has been a competitive jumper from an early age. She won team gold at the North American Youth Championship in 2012 and 2013 and individual gold in 2013. In 2013, she rode Pumped Up Kicks to a win in the $125,000 Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson. Her versatility and success led her to earn the title of USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year that year. 

Keenan’s recent top results include a third-place finish in the 2022 CSI5* Paris Grand Prix with Queensland E, as well as a win in the 2021 $37,000 FEI Adequan WEF Challenge Round 1 CSI3* with Argana Van Het Gerendal Z. Keenan won the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award at the first week of the WEF in 2020.  

Keenan graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a degree in History of Science. She currently trains with McLain Ward.